West Indies vs England – 1st T20 International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is West Indies vs England taking place? Saturday, January 22nd, 2022 – 20:00 (UK)
Where is West Indies vs England taking place? Kensington Oval, Bridgetown
What is the expected weather for West Indies vs England? 26-27c with sunny intervals and a moderate breeze
What channel is West Indies vs England on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport in the UK
Where can I stream West Indies vs England? BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match live via the BT Sport website and app
LAST MEETING
England beat West Indies by six wickets
THE TEAM NEWS
WEST INDIES
- West Indies have struggled in 20 over cricket of late, having failed to make the semi-final stages of the T20 World Cup and most recently being swept 3-0 by Pakistan back in December.
- The Windies very much feel like a team in transition having lost the likes of Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo and younger players such as all-rounder Odean Smith and bowler Dominic Drakes could be given the opportunity to show what they can do against England.
- If West Indies are to have any hope of beating England, they will need their more experienced players such as wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran, all-rounder Jason Holder and captain Kieron Pollard to lead by example against a formidable opponent.
ENGLAND
- Following a humiliating Ashes series, England turn their attention to white ball cricket, a format that has proven by far their strong suit for a number of years as they begin their preparations for the T20 World Cup in Australia later in 2022.
- Players who featured in the Ashes such as Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Mark Wood will not be available for this T20i series, whilst bowers Tom Curran and Jofra Archer are both out injured, although Sam Billings will play on the back of having made his England Test debut in Hobart.
- Lancashire’s new signing Phil Salt is expected to open the batting with Jason Roy, whilst Liam Livingstone proves middle order power, whilst both Tymal Mills and Saqib Mahmood provide captain Eoin Morgan with both left and right arm pace bowling options
THE PREDICTION
Both West Indies and England boast a high level of batting firepower within their ranks which may lead to a high scoring contest here. However, the superior bowling options England possess should prove a defining factor here as it did when the two sides last met in the T20 World Cup last year. Combine that with England’s strength-in-depth across both their batting and bowling departments compared to their opponents and they are expected to overwhelm a West Indies team who have recently lost their way in the white ball format as they attempt to integrate new faces into their setup. Therefore, back England to win this first T20i.
